Following the Miami Heat’s unsuccessful trade attempt to acquire Damian Lillard, Tyler Herro has taken on a more significant role in the offense, with encouraging outcomes. Herro emerged as the team’s main source of outside shots before to the Heat’s Wednesday night matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. much then, the Heat had trouble producing offense, and now that Herro suffered a regrettable ankle injury last night, they will likely struggle much more to put the ball in the basket going forward.
With less than a minute left in the first quarter, Herro managed to get easily into the paint, lofting a floater over the outstretched arms of Grizzlies big man and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. However, Herro landed on Jackson’s foot and immediately crumpled in pain on the floor. Herro then hurriedly hopped towards the locker room using his healthy left foot, with Kevin Love ushering him towards the tunnel.
Now, ankle sprains vary in severity; but rather unluckily, Tyler Herro himself knows that the injury he sustained could keep him out for at least “a couple of weeks”, gutting the Heat’s already questionable depth even further.
“Right when it happened I felt it. And I kind of knew mentally, I heard some crunches and cracks in my ankle. And I’m like, ‘Yeah, that will be it,’” Herro told reporters, via ESPN.
Tyler Herro acknowledged that he just experienced a tough break in the game, as the floater he shot over Jaren Jackson Jr. that got him injured is a shot he takes on a regular basis.
“Just spur of the moment,” the Heat guard said. “A floater, a shot that I shoot multiple times a game. Just unfortunate to land on his foot.”
Now, this will be the ultimate litmus test of the famous Heat culture, especially when they’re currently ranked 26th in offensive rating in their first eight games. Kyle Lowry did his part in stepping up in Herro’s absence on Wednesday night, but Josh Richardson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Dru Smith will all have to play their roles in making sure the Heat remain afloat without Tyler Herro.
